Weight toy.



J. c. FOIRSVTER.

WEIGHT TOY.

v APPUCATION FILED MAR.4,1918.

1,281,15Q. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

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J. C. FORSTER.

WEIGHTJOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, I918.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- ,mvEN-roR WITNESSES JOHN C. FORSTER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WEIGHT TOY..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed March 4, 1918. Serial No. 220,367.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. FORSTER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgln in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Weight Toys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to toys of the elevator class, and consists of a miniature incline operated by weight, having for its principal objects the provision of a device of this class having an improved counterbalance weight mechanism,

and improved control escapes for the operating weights.

Other objects are the provision of a toy of this class that may be made almost completely of metal and that may be cheaply stamped and pressed into form, and a structure that will contain few parts and consequently a structure not liable to get out of order when used roughly by children.

A still further object is to provide a device of this class that may be dis-assembled in a knock-down condition for shipment and sale.

Other objects and advantages will be brought out in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figureil is a side elevation of a toy embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View of the track member; i

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the counter balance carriage; f

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the detachable runway and escape within the housing; Fig. 5 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the traveling car showing it in 1position for discharging the actuating bal V Fig. 7 is a front view of such car; and Fig. 8 is a front view of the station receptacle and showing its connection with the track.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates a U-shaped base member of the supporting structure of my toy. The base 2 has its front portion contracted as at 3 and bent upwardly forming a retaining'portion 1 and the free ends of said base are hingedly' secured to a vertical U-shaped standard 5 by having its free ends bent inwardly forming hook portions 6.

A track portion 7 is detachably secured to the upper terminals of the standard 5 by the hook portions 6 and extends downwardly on an angle, and has its lower end detachably secured to the retaining portion 4 of the base 2.

The track portion 7 is substantially channel shaped and has its top face off-set upwardly to form guide flanges 8 and 9. The side portions 10 and 11 are bent inwardly at right angles and then upwardly forming inner track portions 12 and 13.

A counterbalance weight 14 in the form of a car is adapted to travel on the inner track portions 12 and 13 and is operatively connected by a cable 15, with an incline car 16 adapted to travel on the upper side of the track portion 7 and to be guided by the flanges 8 and 9. The cable 15 is passed over a revoluble sheave 17 journaled in bearing arms 18 projecting from the upper end of the track member 7 A receptacle 19 in the form of a station is detachably secured to the upper end of the track 7 and is adapted to retain actuating weights A, which are preferably in the form of marbles or balls, and adapted to be inserted through an opening 19 and to pass out through an exit opening 20.

The receptacle 19 comprises a casing or housing 21 having a detachable top or roof 21. Secured tothe underside of the bottom are supporting arms 22 which are directed downwardly on an angle and adapted to be removably secured in tubular sockets 23 formed on the sides of the track member 7. The angle of the arms 22 is such as to cause the bottom of the housing 20 to be on a horizontal plane with the base 2.

A false bottom 24 is adapted tofit within the receptacle 19 and has a U-shaped concave track 25 formed therein, which extends on a constant downwardly directed angle to allow the operating ball weights A to travel through the receptacle by gravity.

A ball tripping or gate mechanism is mounted on the false bottom 24 and adjacent to the exit opening 20 to control the exit or discharging of the marbles or balls A, and

such mechanism comprises a bridge portion bridge portion 26, and such sides are adapted to engage with the balls A by extending into the track 25 alternately to hold each front ball in position for being discharged, as hereinafter described. The gate 28 'is adapted to be operated by a trip lever 29 pivoted adjacent one end to a standard 30 mounted on the bridge 26 and has its short end 29 slidably mounted between guide flanges 27011 the gate 28. The free end of the lever 29 is of such length that the action of gravity will hold such lever in its lower position and cause the forward side of the gate to extend into the path of travel of the weights A, thereby preventing the passage thereof through the exit 20. r d

The action of the gate 28 is to allow the passage of but a'single ball weight A at a time through the exit 20 when the trip lever is lifted, therefore the sides or wings of the gate 28 are so spaced that they fit snugly or travel around the periphery of theweight to be exited, so that the one weight will pass out and the second weight will be cut off by I the rear side of the gate. Upon the drop of the lever 29, after the passage of the first weight, the rear side of the gate will move from in the path of the second weight and such weight will move. forward until it strikes the forward side of the gate which has been moved in by the drop of the lever 29.

The car 16v will normally be held at the upper end of the track by the counterweight car 14, and is adapted to engage the lever 29 when in this position. Car 16 is actuated by means of one of the weights A which will enter the car when it trips the lever 29. The weights A are heavier than the counter weight 14 and will. overcome the same forcing the car 16 to travel downwardly on the incline track 7. i I

V A U-shaped vertically movable trip stop member 31 is mounted in the forward portion of the car '16 to retain the weights A. Stop 31 has its side arms bent upon themselves formingv bearing lugs 32 which are adapted to be slidably mounted in slots 33. The free ends of the member 31 extend into the body portion of the car 16 and are bent inwardly forming stop lugs 34 against which the weights A strike. To allow the exit of theweights from the car 16 the member 31 is raised so that such weights may pass under the lugs 34.

The member 31 is adapted to be actuated automatically at the lower end of the track 7 by means of a tripping lug 35, over which the said member rides.

The operation of the device is as follows:

7 The several parts being assembled with a number of the weights A in the receptacle 19, the car 16 is drawn downwardly on the track 7 and consequently the counter-balance weight car- 14 is moved upwardly on the under track 1213. l/Vhen car 16 isreleased the counter balance weight 14 will run downwardly by gravity and raise the car 16 until it strikes the lever 29 of the control gate mechanism raising the same and permitting one of the actuating weights A to pass through the exit 20 and into the car 1621s heretofore described. As soon as the weight A enters the car its weight will overcome the weight 14 and cause the car to run downwardly on the track 7 until the trip member 31 in such car strikes the tripping lugs 35. At this point the member 31 will be raised and the weight A will roll out of the car 16 and suclrcar will travel upwardly on the track 7 due to the weight 14 until it again strikes the lever 29 and anotherweight A is received. This operation will be repeated until no more of the ball weights A remain in the receptacle 19.

, It will be readily seen that the operation of the device may be made almost continuous if the operator will catch the weights A and place the same backinto the receptacle 19,

although this is not necessary since such receptacle is sufficiently large to hold a considerable number of such weights.

While I have shown and described one specific form of my invention, 1' wish it expressly. understood that I do not wish to be limited to such specific form since various changes and, modifications can be made by a mechanic skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the-appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what Iv claim is:-

1. A toy comprising a track member supported'on anincline, a housing at the upper end of said trackadapted to retain a plurality of actuating weights, a car adapted to' travel upon the surface of said track, a counter-balance weight adapted to travel on the under side of said track and being connectedby a flexible connecting member with said car, said actuating weights being of greater weight than said counter-balance j weight, a trip control gate mounted within said" receptacle and adapted to release a single one of said actuating weights at a time, an actuating lever .for said gate, said actuating lever extending over said track and in, the path ofsaid car, said car being adapted to strike said lever. and releaseone of said actuating weights so as to permit the same to enter said car, meansfor retaining said weight within said car, and means for releasing said retaining means when said car reaches its lowermost position on said track.

2. A device of theclass described comprising an inclined track'portion having a receptacle at its upper end, a removable bottom within said receptacle having an within said receptacle adapted to travel in said guide-way, a car adapted to travel upon said track, a counter-balance weight connected with said car and adapted to normally hold the same at its lowermost position on said track, means within said receptacle for permitting the escape of said weights into said car, said means being adapted to be actuated by said car, and means within said car for retaining said weights in said receptacle, said means being adapted to automatically release said weights from said car when it reaches its lowermost position on said track.

3. The combination with a toy comprising an inclined track portion, a car adapted to travel upon said track, a counter-balance car, a receptacle secured to the upper end of said track adapted to retain a plurality of actuating weights adapted to pass into said car, and means for controlling the exit of said weights, of means in a car for holding said weights therein during the descent of said car, said means comprising a vertically movable U-shaped gate member slidably mounted in the forward end of said car and adapted to be moved upwardly to release the weight within said car, by a trip member secured to the lower end of said track.

4. The combination with a toy comprising an inclined track portion, a car adapted to travel upon said track, a counter-balance car, a receptacle secured to the upper end of said track adapted to retain a plurality of actuating weights adapted to pass into said car, and means for controlling the exit of said weights, of means in said car for holding said weights therein during the descent of said car, said means comprising a vertically movable U-shaped gate member slidably mounted in the forward end of said car, the free-ends of said U-shaped member being bent inwardly within the path of said weights and forming engaging fingers, said gate being adapted to be raised to release the weight within said car, and a trip member secured to said track for automatically raising said gate when said car reaches its lowermost position.

5. A toy of the class described comprising an inclined track portion, a receptacle at the top of said track portion adapted to re tain actuating weights, a car adapted to travel along said track, means for releasing said weights from said receptacle to permit the same to enter said car, means within said car for holding the weights and adapted to release said weights when the car reaches the point of discharge on the track, and a counter-balance weight connected to said car and adapted to travel on the under side of said track and normally hold said carat the upper end of said track.

In testimony whereof, I, the said JOHN C.

FoRs'rER, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN C. FORSTER. WVitnesses:

J. N. COOKE, J. M. GEOGHEGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

